Paper sheet handling apparatuses that handle paper sheets are widely prevalent in the society. For example, paper sheet handling apparatuses that handle paper currencies as the paper sheets are widely prevalent as automated machine such as cash processors used in teller operations, automatic depositors (AD), or automatic teller machines (ATM).
A large part of the paper sheet handling apparatuses are configured to convey the paper sheets one by one. In recent years, some paper sheet handling apparatuses with a sheet bundle conveying apparatus mounted thereon have been put into commercial reality, the sheet bundle conveying apparatus conveying a paper sheet bundle in which one or more paper sheets are separably stacked, in a direction crossing the stacking direction of the paper sheets. A conventional sheet bundle conveying apparatus (paper sheet handling apparatus) is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. In the conventional sheet bundle conveying apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a carrier including a plurality of contact members (plates) for coming into contact with a paper sheet bundle to push the paper sheet bundle is moved on a conveying path, whereby the paper sheet bundle is conveyed.
FIG. 1 is a view for describing the conventional sheet bundle conveying apparatus described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 1, a carrier 10 is illustrated from the side of a paper sheet bundle P to be conveyed. 20 denotes the conveying path, and the conveying path 20 is defined by a space formed between an upper wall 21 and a lower wall 22.
In a configuration of the carrier 10, five push-out plates 12 are attached to a plate-like member 11 produced by bending a metal plate. With this configuration, when the carrier 10 is moved in a direction toward the paper sheet bundle P, the paper sheet bundle P is conveyed while being pushed by the push-out plates 12.
A standing piece 12a protruding downward is provided to a lower portion of each push-out plate 12, that is, a lower wall 22 side thereof. Similarly, a standing piece 12b protruding upward is provided to an upper portion of each push-out plate 12, that is, an upper wall 21 side thereof. Accordingly, a groove 22a having a shape for housing each standing piece 12a is formed on a conveying path 20 side surface of the lower wall 22, and similarly, a groove 21a having a shape for housing each standing piece 12b is formed on a conveying path 20 side surface of the upper wall 21.
The push-out plates 12 each need to avoid contact with the lower wall 22 and the upper wall 21. The paper sheet bundle P between the lower wall 22 and the upper wall 21 is conveyed with a bottom thereof being in contact with the lower wall 22. Depending on the number of paper sheets in the paper sheet bundle P, a state of each paper sheet, and the like, the topmost paper sheet may come into contact with the upper wall 21. This is because, if the number of paper sheets is large, the total thickness (hereinafter, the “thickness” is used to refer to the width in the stacking direction of the paper sheets in the stacking direction of the paper sheets, unless otherwise defined) is large, and even if the number of paper sheets is small, if a folded paper sheet exists, the total thickness may be increased by the folded paper sheet. For this reason, the standing piece 12a and the groove 22a, and the standing piece 12b and the groove 21a are provided in order to prevent the paper sheets from entering a gap between each push-out plate 12 and the lower wall 22 and a gap between each push-out plate 12 and the upper wall 21. In FIG. 1, L1 denotes the gap between each push-out plate 12 and the lower wall 22, and L4 denotes the gap between the push-out plate 12 and the upper wall 21.
The paper sheets in the paper sheet bundle P to be conveyed by the carrier 10 are not necessarily appropriately stacked. Some of the paper sheets may have a sticking-out portion in some cases. If the paper sheet having such a sticking-out portion exist in a lower portion of the paper sheet bundle P, part of the sticking-out portion may enter the gap L1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a gap L2 and a gap L3 may also exist between the standing piece 12a and the groove 22a. The gap L2 extends in an orthogonal direction (hereinafter, “horizontal direction”) orthogonal to the stacking direction of the paper sheets, and the gap L3 extends in the stacking direction. The paper sheets may also enter the gap L2 or L3.
Paper sheets located at the lower portion receive the weight of paper sheets located thereon. Accordingly, unlike paper sheets located at an upper portion of the paper sheet bundle P, the paper sheets located at the lower portion tend to have a stronger force for maintaining an original state thereof. For this reason, a sticking-out portion of the paper sheets located at the lower portion more easily enters any of the gaps L1 to L3 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “gap L”).
The paper sheet that has partially entered the gap (space) L is stacked in an inappropriate state, and thus needs to be brought into a more appropriate state. Unfortunately, the placement of the paper sheet that has partially entered the gap L is less likely to be improved into a more appropriate state during the conveyance. This is because frictions are caused between the respective members of the push-out plates 12 and the lower wall 22 that define the gap L. When the carrier 10 is moved back after the conveyance, these frictions may bring the paper sheet that has partially entered the gap L, into a worse state (less aligned state).
The paper sheets not being aligned may cause not only a paper jam but also damage of the paper sheets in some cases. In view of the above, assuming that all paper sheets to be conveyed are not appropriately aligned, it is important to suppress a portion of the paper sheets not being aligned from entering the gap L between the members that come into contact with the paper sheet bundle.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-255407    Patent Document 2: Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 07-965    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-151009    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-172710